


Wrecking Ball

by Loving_Healer



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - High School, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Angst with a Happy Ending, Bisexual Lance (Voltron), Cuban Lance (Voltron), Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Friendship, Gay Keith (Voltron), High School AU, Humor, Insecure Lance (Voltron), Keith and Shiro are Siblings, Korean Keith (Voltron), M/M, Minor Allura/Shiro (Voltron), Modern AU, Romance, Teen Romance, coffee shop AU, keith kogane - Freeform, klance, lance mcclain - Freeform, vld, voltron legendary defender - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 12:05:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 13,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11920539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Loving_Healer/pseuds/Loving_Healer
Summary: [[Coffee Shop AU]] [[Klance]]Lance and Keith first meet by arguing with one another in a coffee shop. Lance just wanted some girl's number and Keith's brother, Shiro, made him go inside for his coffee that day. What they didn't know, however, was that this fated meeting was about to start something new for the both of them.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I literally only started this because I was craving the caramel macchiato from Starbucks. Have fun with this then?
> 
> Sorry if the characters are OOC; I've never written for this fandom before.

**Lance McClain**

It was a day like any other.

Well, at least, I  _wanted_  to say that. But  _someone_  had to ruin my day. And by someone, I meant a certain hot-tempered, mullet-loving guy! I mean,  _come on_! Who purposely gets their hair styled to be a mullet? No one in this day and age, I'm sure. I swear, though, the guy looked my age! Either that, or he has this wicked age-resistant cream that my older self would love to try.

I didn't even know the guy's  _name_ , but every time I saw a guy with a mullet walk through the door after that day, I wanted to punch the cash register. It didn't even matter whether I saw his face or not, because only one guy sported a mullet in this town, and it was  _always_  him.

Where was I? Right, I  _probably_  should've explained to you guys what happened on one of the worst days of my entire life. And no, I am not exaggerating! How dare you accuse me of such a thing.

You see, I worked at a coffee shop with my best friend, Hunk Garett. Weird first name, right? Yeah, I don't question it either. Maybe his parents just really wished for their son to be a total hunk? I have a ton of different theories, all of which Hunk refused to listen to.

Anyway, when Hunk and I were 16, we applied to work at this coffee shop across our high school. Surprisingly, we  _both_  were accepted. I mean, I wasn't surprised when  _I_  was accepted, because who doesn't love Lance McClain? No, I was shocked when  _Hunk_  made it in. The guy messes up everything! Just kidding, I love you, man. Now, we were 17 and working at that place for a year.

The coffee shop was run by this extremely hot and British manager by the fabulous name of Allura. She  _definitely_  was alluring. See what I did there? And yes, I did tell her that awesome pun. And she definitely didn't reject me. Damn it, stop looking at me like that! Okay, fine! She did reject me. Harshly, might I add. Hunk said my skin became tanner after all of the roasts she fired at me. Well, it's not my fault she couldn't appreciate how amazing I was!

There weren't a lot of other employees working at the shop, but one of them that actually managed to capture my beautiful essence was a girl named Pidge Gunderson. Girl? Guy? She recently came out as transgender. I think she wanted to be referred to as they/them. Okay, let's start over.

Their name was Pidge Gunderson, who used to be referred to as Katie Holt. And, did I mention that they witnessed how amazing I was? Yes, yes I did. They were there when I was successfully flirting with Allura. And... they were there when Allura roasted me. They never let me live it down. Thanks, Pidge. You and your owl glasses are amazing friends.

What was I talking about again? Thank you, yeah, I was trying to get to the worst day of my entire life. I was the cashier, and Hunk and Pidge were behind me working their coffee magic. Definitely not as cool as counting money, by the way.

I was successfully flirting with one of the prettiest girls I have ever come across. When she told me her name was Nyma, I felt like melting right through the floor. I didn't charge her for her coffee in exchange for her number. She wrote it on some napkin I pulled from underneath the desk, but I was too busy writing her order on the cup and passing it to Hunk to even look at the number. She flashed me a blinding smile and scurried to the left where all of the finished drinks were placed. With a grin, I pocketed the napkin before attending to the next customer.

Frankly, I wished I didn't have to. He was wearing a red hoodie with a black T-shirt underneath, matched with black skinny jeans and—you guessed it— _black_  combat boots. Did this guy know that there were more colors than just red and black? Maybe I should've told him, but the morning bustle was too much that day to even get an extra word out.

The worst part about him wasn't even his clothes though. It was his hair. God, it made me want to throw up a little. I think I did. It looked completely fine in the front, kind of long, black bangs, but the back was absolutely horrifying. It was long, and when I say long, I meant his hair reached the base of his neck only to curl slightly upward like he was trying to go for that Billy Ray Cyrus look back in the day. I really hope this guy's daughter in the future didn't encounter a wrecking ball. Actually, I take that back. His hairstyle definitely deserved to be destroyed by a wrecking ball.

"You do realize she gave you a fake number, right?"

I was snapped out of my thoughts on the guy's outfit and terrible taste in hairstyles only to respond by narrowing my eyes.

"Look, man, what's your problem? Just leave it alone, will you?"

He raised an eyebrow. "So, you  _know_  she gave you a fake number? And you still took it?"

I frowned, which definitely wasn't part of the job description. "She didn't give me a fake number!" I retorted a little too loudly, earning me a few looks and a "Lance, shut up," from Pidge. I would've asked Nyma to prove to the bastard that the number wasn't fake, but when I glanced to my left, she and her drink were already gone.

He shrugged, mumbling, "Not my problem." He shoved his hands into the pockets of his hoodie before changing the subject completely. "Can I get a caramel macchiato?"

"So, what? You're going to change the subject now? And pretend that I  _didn't_  just win this argument?" I couldn't help reveling in my glorious victory as a huge smirk spread across my lips.

The guy on the other side of the counter, however, didn't look amused at all. "What win? You didn't win anything."

"You just wanted to change the subject because  _you_  realized that the number  _isn't_  fake and  _you_  don't want to admit it." I boasted, jabbing a finger in his chest with each emphasized word.

He narrowed his eyes. "I did not. I still believe that that number is fake."

"Oh yeah, and what proof?"

"If you were actually  _watching_  her, the girl took an extremely long time writing out her number on the napkin. If it  _really_  was her number, she would've written it without hesitation."

I crossed my arms. "Pics or it didn't happen."

He gesticulated around himself wildly. " _Why_  would I take a picture of her writing her number on a napkin?"

"For this very argument, obviously!"

"Well, how should  _I_ know that this argument was going to happen?!"

"You picked the fight with me when you told me it was fake!"

"Maybe I was trying to help you and inform you that you just got duped!"

I opened my mouth to shout a counterargument when I was cut off by someone behind me shrieking my name.

"Lance! What are you  _doing_?"

Hair dyed the purest shade of white that was pinned up in a bun appeared in my field of vision as she shoved me backward, causing me to stumble a bit to try and regain my balance. I didn't even realize that the other guy and I argued so much that our foreheads were  _literally_  slamming into each other until Allura pushed me away.

"I'm so sorry," I heard Allura say in front of me. "Please ignore him; he's easily riled."

He locked eyes with me, and I  _swear_  I saw a smirk forming on his lips. "Yeah, I could tell."

I gawked. "What do you mean, 'yeah, I could tell'?!" I pointed an accusatory finger in mullet man's (yep, that's what I was calling him now) direction. "If anything,  _you_  have the hotter temper here!"

"Lance!" Allura repeated, raising her voice over mine and over half of the customers in the coffee shop. "I think you need a break, okay? Just go sit in the back for a while."

I grumbled a few words that not even the darkest aliens destroying planets in some faraway world wanted to hear, whirling around on my heels and pushing open the door that led to the employee's break room. Before the door shut behind me, I could hear mullet man asking for his caramel macchiato again. I swore to myself to never drink a caramel macchiato ever again.

I proceeded to drop myself dramatically on the one and only couch crammed into the corner of the small room, swinging my legs so that it draped over the arm rest. I glared at the ceiling, shoving my hand into my pocket and pulling out the napkin. The ink of the pen kind of smudged, but the digits were still slightly legible. I dug my fist into my other pocket to reveal my phone. Occasionally glancing at the smudged numbers, I dialed it into my phone. I put the receiver up to my ear, only to be met with some message saying that the call could not be transferred or something. I didn't bother listening to it; I just hung up on the machine.

Sighing, I slung my arm over my eyes. This wasn't the first time it's happened. In the back of my mind, I knew mullet man was right. I just... wanted to believe that someone was  _actually_  interested in me for once. Every time I hung out with a group of people, I was almost always the third wheeler, fourth wheeler, you name it. It was the reason why I liked hanging out one-on-one. There was absolutely no way I could be left out if there was only one other person with me.

It was truly a lonely life, even if I was always surrounded by people. They always invited me places, only to ignore me when I was there. If I refused to go, they had the nerve to constantly pester me and ask why I didn't want to go. Sure, maybe they didn't mean to leave me out and always forget my entire existence, but it happened  _every single time_. It just hurt... a lot. It'd feel nice to be accepted, you know? It happened everywhere I went. Elementary school and middle school both. When will it just stop? That was all I wished for in life: Being accepted somewhere.

Pidge attended the same school as Hunk and me, and they were slowly being accepted into our little group. Still, I couldn't help being worried. Yeah, I was smart, but definitely not as smart as Hunk and Pidge were. I couldn't stop the dreadful thoughts swirling around in the back of my mind. What if I was replaced? Like I always was?

My thoughts came to an abrupt halt when I heard the only entrance and exit creaking open.

"Lance? Are you okay?"

I swallowed thickly, moving my arm away from my face and plastering the biggest grin on my face as I could. I swung my legs over the armrest until my feet were flat on the floor and I was sitting upright on the couch. "And, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Allura rolled her eyes. "I was wondering if you were okay." She gestured toward the couch, and I moved to the side to allow her more room. "I may have shoved you a bit too hard back there. I'm sorry."

I shook my head, my smile faltering until it was a softer one. "It's fine. I kind of... went kind of ballistic back there."

She furrowed her eyebrows. "Yeah, what was that? I've seen you get annoyed before." Her expression suddenly became thoughtful. "I've seen you complain quite a lot actually. But, you got  _extremely_  angry this time."

"That guy just knew how to get on my nerves." I shrugged, leaning back into the couch cushion behind me, trying to wipe away the memory of black clothes adorned with a red hoodie and a terrible mullet. "From what he said right down to his hair."

"His... his  _hair_?"

I turned toward Allura to see the most exasperated expression across her face. "Yeah, his hair! Didn't you  _see_  it? It was hideous!" I stuck my tongue out playfully, causing Allura to chuckle lightly.

"Well, I'm glad you're fine now." She offered me a small smile before removing herself from the couch. "By the way, I didn't notice his hairstyle at all."

My mouth dropped open, and my jaw went slack. "But... but it was disgusting!" I waved my arms above my head. "How could you  _not_ notice it? What, was he bald to you?"

She rolled her eyes once more. "No, he was not  _bald_. I  _did_  notice that he had hair, but I didn't pay attention to his hair. I was more focused on trying to calm him down and take his order before the line behind him reached outside the store."

I blinked blankly. "Oh, right, the morning rush." I nodded before narrowing my eyes. "Wait a second, shouldn't one of us be, you know,  _out_   _there_  and  _help_  Hunk and Pidge with the morning rush?"

She shook her head. "I came into here once the bustle died down. You don't have to worry for a while. Are you ready to go back to work, or are you still thinking about that man's hairstyle?"

I scowled distastefully. "Don't ever mention his hairstyle again."

Allura laughed lightly. "Of course. Did you want to rest for a little bit more?"

Shaking my head, I stood up from the couch. "No, I'm okay now. Thanks, Allura."

Her expression brightened up. "Anything for Lancey Lance, right?"

I howled with laughter. "You're  _finally_  going to call me that? After a full year of trying to convince you?"

"I figured it would cheer you up a little." She shrugged. "But, just this once. I will never repeat that  _ridiculous_  nickname again."

I stuck my bottom lip out in a pout. "Oh, come on. I know you like it."

It was Allura's signature move to roll her eyes. "Just get back to work."

I smirked. "Yes, ma'am." I saluted jokingly, making her shake her head and shoo me out of the break room with a few flicks of her wrist.

Emerging from the break room, Hunk and Pidge directed their worried gazes toward me. Before they could even utter a word, I grinned at the two of them, planting my hands on my hips defiantly.

"I'm fine now, guys! Don't worry about Lancey Lance and just continue on with your coffee magic."

Pidge rolled their eyes. "Glad to have you back." They smiled quickly before returning to whatever drink they were previously creating before.

"Yeah, man. We were kind of lost without our cashier." Hunk gestured toward the cash register that was occupied by absolutely no one.

I chuckled. "Woops. My bad."

" _Woops. My bad_ ," Pidge horrendously imitated.

I shook my head back and forth, returning to my original position at the cash register. I plucked the marker up from the counter and flashed the customer a smile. "Sorry for keeping you waiting. The name's Lance. What would you like today?"

As I attended to each customer's request, the back of my mind just hoped that I would never have to come into contact with mullet man ever again. Him and his stupid outfit along with his stupid hairstyle—I never wanted to see it again.

Spoke too soon, didn't I?


	2. Chapter 2

**Keith Kogane**

The  _one_  time I try to help someone, huh? Of course my bad luck directed me to a certain hot-tempered cashier to help. I could basically hear my older brother's words in the back of my mind, telling me to help people more instead of brooding by myself in some corner. Thanks, Shiro, for making me argue with some cashier who I hoped to never see again because I told him the number he got from flirting with some girl in front of me was fake. And yes, I was blaming him even though he wasn't even present at the time. Then again, he was the one that told me to get his coffee for him because he was too afraid to confront his friend after realizing his true feelings for her.

I slammed the car door a little too harshly, practically shoving the drink into my brother's face. "Remind me never to walk through those coffee shop doors ever again."

Shiro raised one curious eyebrow at me, taking the drink out of my hand as I shifted in my seat to get more comfortable. He took a sip from the straw before securing it in one of the car's cup holders. "Should... should I even ask?"

"No," I blatantly replied.

"Was there some rude worker in there or--"

" _Step on it_ ," I hissed through my teeth, fumbling for the seatbelt over my right shoulder.

"My friend works in there. I could tell her if something happe--"

"Shiro."

One last glance in my direction was all he needed for him to start the car and pull out of the parking lot. I was surprised he didn't actually start his thorough interrogation on me like he always did whenever I was extremely pissed at something and didn't bother explaining to him. Maybe he knew that I would tell him eventually? I almost wanted to scoff at the thought. Shiro and I both knew that I wasn't a man of words.

I frowned, furrowing my eyebrows together and directing my gaze to the window on my right, watching the all too familiar town pass by in a blink of an eye. It appeared as if the trees rushed by as the signs appeared as quickly as they disappeared. It was funny because none of those things were moving.  _I_  was the one moving, yet I didn't feel as if I were because I was just sitting in a car.

I shot Shiro a suspicious look through the corner of my eyes. However, the older brother continued to drive the car as if nothing had happened. His normal reaction to my sudden change in mood from when I left the car to when I entered the car made me suspect that my brother was a clone or something. Crossing my arms across my chest, I asked, "You're not going to ask me anything?"

"Ask you what?"

"About..." I stopped myself, turning my full body toward Shiro. My mouth almost dropped open at the uncharacteristic smirk across his face.

He chuckled, noticing that I finally realized his expression. "You  _do_  realize that I could just ask Allura what happened in there. If you're not going to tell me, that is."

I rolled my eyes, tightening the hold around my body and sinking further back into the passenger seat. "It's your fault for making me go in there. If you gave me your credit card to pay for it, then why not just go in yourself?"

There was no way Shiro could've hid the red quickly spreading across his cheeks even if he wanted to try. His smirk dropped just as quickly. "You already know why."

I shrugged, reaching into my pocket for my phone and taking the quickest picture that I have ever taken in my life of my brother. "I do know that I can blackmail you with this picture now."

" _Keith_."

"Sorry, sorry, you were saying?" I frowned, thinking back to what he was saying before I took that embarrassing picture of him. "Right. Yeah, of course I know why you don't want to go in. You literally talk about Allura every day. I swear, we don't have normal conversations anymore."

"We're having this conversation, right?"

"Give it up, Shiro. It's still about Allura."

"It's not  _directly_  about Allura."

"We've said her name about 3 times already in the past few seconds. This conversation is definitely about her."

Rolling his eyes, Shiro slowed the car down at the red stoplight. "I'm just waiting for the day that you find the right guy that you would never shut up about."

It was my turn to roll my eyes with a snort. "Yeah, right."

"I guarantee you," Shiro stated, pressing lightly on the gas pedal once the light glowed a green hue, "within the next year, you're going to find that special someone."

"I doubt it." I turned my head toward the window, watching the scenery rush by once more.

"Want to bet?"

I smirked, glancing at Shiro for a few seconds to study his expression to see if he was actually joking or not. If he wasn't, he was digging his own grave. Turning my head back toward the window, I promised, "It's fucking  _on_."

He chuckled. "I've never lost a bet against you, you know."

I scoffed. "Looks like I'm about to get my first victory."

"I didn't make this bet to lose."

I narrowed my eyes, directing my full attention toward the other. "Then why make the bet?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Shiro turned the steering wheel until the car obeyed and turned right onto a different street. "I just have a feeling you're going to find that special someone this year."

I frowned. "Why?"

"Because."

The car came to a halt in a parking lot. I scanned my surroundings through the windows and windshield, curiosity filling my head. There were barely any cars there on a Saturday, so the parking lot almost looked deserted with the exception of one or two cars scattered about.

"Why are we at my school?" I narrowed my eyes at Shiro.

Ignoring my glare, he took a sip from his coffee before unlocking the car doors and stepping out. When he noticed that I had no intent on moving until I received an explanation, he peered back into the car and matter-of-factly stated, "You're transferring schools."

"Wha--"

I couldn't even finish my one-word exclamation because my brother decided to interrupt me by slamming the car door shut.

I was  _what_?

Hurriedly rushing out of the passenger side of the car, I slammed the door behind me, almost immediately hearing the doors locking themselves from any potential intruders. I whipped my head around only to find my brother about halfway to the school's administration office right ahead of him. My teeth gritted together as my footsteps quickened in pace in a futile attempt to catch up to the other man.

Damn it, why was he so tall? Did his legs  _really_  have to be that long?

"Shiro!" I finally called out (why didn't I do that earlier?), causing my brother to turn around which gave me just enough time to close the gap between us. " _Why_  am I switching schools?"

My brother tilted his head to the side as if confused by how obvious the answer was. "We moved here from Texas because I managed to find a job with really good pay here."

I blinked momentarily. "Right." I frowned, crossing my arms and resting my weight on one leg. When Shiro continued to stare at me without further elaboration, I narrowed my eyes. "And what does that have to do with me transferring all of a sudden?"

"Well," Shiro began, turning his body toward me, "I told you before—the place that we're staying at now isn't going to be permanent. We just had to move as soon as possible so that I could start the job sooner."

My frown never ceased, but I was starting to put the pieces together in my mind. "Is it safe to say that you found a more permanent place for us to stay then?"

He nodded. "There's a school that's closer by to where we're living. After we get the transfer papers from here," Shiro jabbed a finger toward the administration office, "then I'm going to show you the new place that we're going to stay at before I make it official and sign the papers."

"Are we staying at another apartment?"

Another nod was directed in my direction. "It's in a lot better condition than the one we're in right now since it's not rushed and last minute anymore." Shiro chuckled at the thought. "There's no need to live in anything bigger than an apartment since it's just the two of us."

I mumbled a quiet agreement at the statement before following Shiro toward what I would like to call one of the biggest changes of my life.

My dad was a part of the military. He was across the world now, fighting off crime and whatnot. Almost everything I learned from my dad was from Shiro; once my brother turned eighteen, my dad left, though I was surprised every time he sent us a letter once in a blue moon. I was eleven when my dad disappeared for the military, so I still remembered a few things about him. He was mostly strict but he did have his nice moments, and I think he was extremely smart. Shiro always told me that our mental strengths came from our dad, while our physical strengths came from our mom.

My mom was a big on fighting apparently. She left my family quite a long time ago, and all she left behind was a knife; no one really knew the significance of the knife except for my dad, but I was too young to understand the story behind it. And, I didn't even remember anything about her, let alone the story about the knife, but it wasn't as if I forced myself to forget about her. I just  _couldn't_  remember her at all—I was way too young. Shiro didn't have a clear memory of her either despite being seven years older than me. He admitted that he remembered a few things, but he didn't want to tell me in case it was just his brain messing with him or making up events that never happened. Shiro couldn't separate dream from reality during his younger years.

In fact, Shiro had an extremely traumatic story. He was kidnapped when he was young by a group of underground terrorists who thought he was someone else. Shiro recalled being referred to as "Sven" multiple times, and they never believed him when Shiro told them that he wasn't Sven. He had endured multiple human experiments, all of which flooded back to him in a series of broken flashbacks that never made sense and only made him even more stressed and anxious about the world around him. A lot happened when Shiro finally escaped the terrorists' grasps, all of which that I couldn't remember. I just remember he had a therapist for a really long time, and he came back with this nasty scar along the bridge of his nose.

The scar, unfortunately, never disappeared, only to remind him of the constant dark underworld that the world possessed.

Shiro held the door open which I muttered a quick thank you in response. We discussed with one of the counselors there for a significant amount of time, one that made me lose all interest in the conversation as I resorted to leaning against the nearest wall and watching the other two converse about transferring schools; I listened nonetheless, as the conversation involved me after all. The other school was in the exact same district as the school I currently attended, so what was so difficult about it? Why did they have to over-complicate matters and draw out lengthy, unnecessary conversations?

I sighed in relief when I heard Shiro thanking the counselor for the explanation. He gestured toward the exit before trudging toward it. I nodded toward the counselor, which she gratefully smiled in response and told me to have fun at my other school.

No promises, lady who I'll never be seeing again because I'm transferring to a different school.

It felt as if Shiro and I were holed up in the administration office for hours, but once we reached the exit, the scenery appeared as if it hadn't changed in the slightest. Though, I think the sun's rays were a little warmer now. Goosebumps ghosted my skin from the sudden rise in temperature after emerging from the air-conditioned school office.

It was late August, and school was about to begin for the next school year within the next week. I couldn't even remember what I had done for the last two months during summer break. All I remembered was driving; I loved driving. Speed was everything to me even if my older brother constantly scolded me for driving way above the speed limit. Sometimes, I would just drive along the freeway with no definite location in mind to stop. I would just  _drive_. Shiro was always telling me to get a job so that I would still be in possession of  _some_  money even after wasting gas on driving at extremely high speeds.

Well, I mean, why  _wouldn't_  I drive almost all the time if I owned a red Audi R8? I loved my baby more than anything; I swear, I probably washed her every week. I only managed to get a beauty such as her because, apparently, for my sixteenth birthday, my dad sent home a ton of money for Shiro to get me something. I had just earned my license, so he found it appropriate to get a car for me.

I was  _never_  going to find anything I loved more than that car. Speaking of love...

"Hey, Shiro?" I grunted, earning the attention of the older figure who walked ahead of me, reaching his black car first in the school's parking lot to unlock the doors with a push of a button. "Why do you think I'm going to find someone special to me after switching schools? It's not like I'm going to do anything different than hiding in some dark corner."

He chuckled, revealing the hot air from inside the car after opening the door from the driver's side. "So, you admit to brooding by yourself?"

I rolled my eyes, jumping into the passenger side of the car with no regard to the crushing heat. Whenever it came to hot weather, I never seemed to be bothered. "That wasn't the point."

Shiro laughed lightly in response, joining me in the car a little while after fanning the hot air away and shutting the door. "I just get a feeling is all."

"So, you're going to risk your lifelong streak of never losing a bet against me on a  _feeling_?" I arched an eyebrow.

"I've just," he paused, starting up the car with a shrug of his shoulders. "I haven't seen you get that angry since we were living Texas. That was about a year ago now?"

I hummed. "A year, huh?" I watched him exit the parking lot and began to merge the car into one of the busiest streets of the city. "Wait, it took you almost a  _year_  to find a permanent place for us to live?"

"I've been busy working a lot, and I wanted to make sure that the apartment was suitable for the both of us. That's all," he replied nonchalantly.

I frowned at nothing, returning back to our original conversation. "And what does me having to be pissed at someone have to do with finding someone special to me?"

"Where's the fun if I have to spell it all out to you?"

" _Shiro_."

"You're not getting another word on this topic out of me."

I groaned, banging the back of my head against the passenger seat. "Damn," I grumbled under my breath.

He smiled at my obliviousness. "When we get home, help me fill out those papers?"

"Yeah, yeah." I waved a hand dismissively, grabbing the transfer papers and quickly scanning my eyes along them. "It's pretty basic stuff; should be done pretty fast."

Shiro acknowledged my statement with a short nod. "After that, I'll call our real estate agent to see if she can get us into the apartment to see if you like it." He sighed. "Then, I'll be back to filling out more papers."

It was my turn to nod in acknowledgment, but I didn't bother stretching out our conversation any further. My gaze eventually found the scenery passing by outside the car window as dreadful thoughts of dealing with new people at a new school filled my mind.

This was going to be a long year.


	3. Chapter 3

**Lance McClain**

"Stupid mullet and his stupid clothes and his stupid hair and his stupid  _hair_."

I was scrubbing this one table down as if my lifeline depended on how clean the surface was. I swear, I probably haven't moved anywhere else in the last fifteen minutes. Allura had taken over the cash register so that I could go around and clean for a little while before my shift ended. I had been working since six in the morning, and it was now approaching two o'clock. And, honestly, I was ready to hit my bed and pass out for the next week or so. After arguing with stupid mullet man, I felt as if all of my energy had just drained right out of me.

Whenever each customer entered through the glass door, I greeted them with this silly grin before returning to my cleaning duties. Each and every customer entering and leaving through our one and only door was the only thing that broke my thoughts about the most irritating guy on the face of this Earth. If that guy (you know exactly who I'm talking about) and I were the last people left on this planet, I was definitely going to yell, "Hasta la vista, mullet man!" before drowning myself in the nearest ocean, leaving my body to rest with the sharks.

But, hey, I would be  _completely_  fine with that. Sharks were cute! Contrary to popular opinion, I guess. But, sharks were just like me on a spiritual level; no one could understand the greatness and extreme beauty that sharks had, just like how no one could understand the level of impeccable fabulousness that I had as well. I mean, people always made sharks the bad guys in scary movies, like  _Jaws_  or something. But, they weren't even that bad! I think I saw this thing online where it said that being killed or hit by a cow was fifteen times more likely than suffering through a shark attack.

Sharks are  _such_  majestic creatures. I could talk about them all day, but I think I would rather talk about my majestic-ness instead. Oh! What if I talk about myself  _with_  sharks? I think that would make a wonderful essay. Someone write that idea down; I'm about to introduce it to my English teacher once summer break ends.

I felt a chill run down my spine despite the horrifying heat traveling through the air. The hot air definitely wasn't doing wonders to my hair, but it was  _way_  better than the thought that I just had. And that thought? School. Specifically, school beginning again after summer break ends. Can you believe it?! Summer break is ending already! As Uzumaki Naruto says, "Believe it!" Well, Naruto, no, I refuse to believe this utter catastrophe that is dawning upon the teenage population.

My thoughts were broken when I heard a familiar voice calling my name. I glanced up, only for my eyes to meet those of my blessed best friend, give it up, ladies and gentlemen, for Pidge Gunderson!

Yes, I was kidding, the  _actual_  person standing in front of me was Hunk.

He was tapping his wrist for some reason, so in response, all I did was narrow my eyes at him in confusion. Hunk only sighed in response and pointed at the clock that was hung near the top of the wall by the shelves advertising coffee cups.

"It's two, dude, our shift is over."

Quickly glancing at the clock back to meet Hunk's gaze, I grinned widely. "Oh thank every celestial being watching me from above for this very moment!"

Hunk shook his head, but I knew he still loved me. "Let's just cut the dramatics short and get out of here before Allura makes us do anything else. Pidge was out the door the second it hit two."

I laughed. "Classic Pidge."

After clocking out and bidding adieu to the most gorgeous manager in the world, Hunk and I left the coffee shop together. I was  _so_  ready to wrap myself up in my blankets; I didn't even care if the weather was soaring into the hundreds degrees-wise. I just wanted sleep. Oh, how amazing did sleep sound right about now! The only trial left was to actually  _get_  home.

"Lance?"

I hummed in response, digging through my pockets for the keys to my blue Mazda 3.

"How long were you cleaning that table?"

After revealing the keys hidden deep in my jean's pocket, I spun the carabiner holding my keys together around my pointer finger. "And what are you talking about?" I asked, innocently batting my eyelashes toward Hunk as if I didn't know I was just cleaning that one table for fifteen minutes straight.

Hunk sighed, an amused smile appearing on his darker complexion. "Lance, I  _saw_  you cleaning that table. After making someone's coffee and turning back, you were still there."

Shrugging nonchalantly, I added, "Maybe you just made that person's coffee really quickly."

"I was making a Frappuccino," he stated matter-of-factly. "Do you  _know_  how long those things take?"

I glanced to the side before locking eyes with him again. "Not... that long?"

Hunk snorted in reply. "You wish, Lance. Did that guy really bother you that much?"

The spinning of the carabiner stopped. "What guy?" I started whistling into the air the first song that could pop into my mind, and it ended up being  _Despacito_. Justin Bieber may be one of the worst humans alive, but dang, that guy  _knew_  how to sing.

"You were muttering 'stupid mullet' the  _whole_  day. Don't pretend you don't know who I'm talking about."

My whistling cut short. "There was just something definitely wrong with his hair!" I waved my arms around in the air like a maniac, and I almost proceeded to hit Hunk in the face with my car keys. "Forget something. There was  _everything_  wrong with his hair!"

"Dude, dude, I appreciate your vehement opposition to his hair, but please don't give me a concussion now. We just got out of work."

I laughed loudly, swinging an arm around Hunk's shoulders. "Oh, come on, man! I know you love Lancey Lance." With my free hand, I incessantly poked his side. "Come on, admit it. You'd be nowhere without me."

Grinning, Hunk shoved my hand away. "You  _know_  I'm ticklish."

"And this is  _exactly_  why I'm poking you so much!"

I continued my relentless attacks, releasing my arm around Hunk in order to properly protect and arm myself. Dodging his retaliation proved to be tough, as my best friend was bigger than me (much to my dismay), but it proved to be a small disadvantage. I had a smaller frame than him, and it was a great boost in terms of dodging and rapid movement. I may think that I had the advantage in this battle, but I couldn't get too ahead of myself. But the speed definitely helped me greatly in swiping quickly at Hunk.

I had barely managed to graze his stomach before the opponent lurched forward. I swear I saw my life flash before my eyes, but I managed to will my feet to the left, sidestepping the body-crushing attack. See? It was all in quick movement. But, even if I was faster than him, it would be useless if I couldn't even manage to land a thorough attack on him.

"Oh, it's on, Hunk!"

Hunk stretched his right arm straight in front of me before gesturing with his fingers to come at me like those cliché fighters in the really bad and cringey action movies. It didn't help that he had a headband tied around his forehead either.

"Is that a challenge, Lance McClain?"

I smirked, striking swiftly in an attempt to slash at his neck with my pointer finger. "Bring it on, Hunk Garett!"

I whirled around on the heels of my foot, skidding around so that I was behind the opposing team with my back facing the coffee shop entrance. Never show your back to your challenger; it was just the ultimate rule in fighting.

Before I could take the chance to lash out against Hunk from behind, he pivoted on his foot and thrust his arm out. My eyes widened at the sudden movement, jerking my head to the side and watching the edge of his fingers brush against my tips of my hair.

I stumbled, barely able to catch my breath before my feet instinctively pushed themselves to the right in a successful attempt at dodging Hunk's almost immediate follow-up. My eyes narrowed on the recovering figure. Either that was Hunk's special move that exerted too much of his stamina to move that quickly, or I miscalculated and Hunk was actually just as fast as me. Either option proved to be troubling, however, less stamina, if the first option was right, would soon make me the victor. A tired Hunk meant a defeated Hunk.

And I was determined to not let my prey slip away from the grasps of my fingers.

"You're quick," Hunk remarked darkly.

I lifted my chin defiantly, staring Hunk right through his eyes. "I underestimated you. You're faster than you seem."

Hunk smirked. "It was your first mistake to underestimate your opponent. The next mistake you made is letting your guard down! Pidge, strike now!"

My eyes widened once more. I could barely manage to turn around before I was tackled to the ground with a scream clawing against my throat. I could hear battle cries echoing through the parking lot as the weight pinned me to the black, concrete floor.

When my vision returned to me, I could see owl eyes towering over me, a triumphant smirk gracing their face. I grimaced at the view, struggling underneath their vice grip.

"Let me go! You don't want to do this! It's a big mistake to the both of you!" I cried. "The both of you! You don't know what you're doing!"

"Oh, we know exactly what we're doing,  _Lancey Lance_." Pidge cocked their head to the side. "Tell me, Lance, where is he?!"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Lies!" They sneered. "Hunk, get the information out of him.  _Now,_ before our  _real_  target gets away."

Way above me, Hunk rolled up his sleeves even though they were already rolled up to his elbows since the beginning of this battle. He crouched down until he was kneeling on the ground, joining his companion and me.

"No, no!" I screeched at the top of my lungs. "You're making a big mistake!"

"I think we've already established that this is all part of our plan." Pidge turned their attention toward Hunk. And with a nod, the torture began.

He cracked his neck before stretching his fingers. I watched in complete horror as they practically ripped my shirt up, exposing my bare midriff. My expression probably mirrored a deer's when exposed to a car's high-beam headlights in the darkest hours of the night.

"I don't have the information you want! Please,  _please_! Spare me, Pidge! Spare me!"

I squirmed under the smaller one's grasp, but it was futile. I couldn't move, and Hunk's death machines were inching closer and closer. I dug my heels into the ground, preparing myself for the worst of the worst. I shut my eyes--I couldn't handle watching my own demise slowly approach me.

This was it. This was the end of my mission. My whole squadron was wiped out, and I was the only one left. And now I had to face the consequences of my actions and succumb to the opponents.

I couldn't help my uncontrollable laughter once Hunk's fingers starting tickling my stomach. My legs kicked around against the ground as Pidge cold-heartedly watched with their own four eyes. I was wheezing for breath, screaming at the top of my lungs for Pidge to get up at least. I could barely breathe, oh god, and I thought arguing with mullet man was worse? Definitely not as bad as losing against Hunk and Pidge.

Tears were beginning to form in the corner of my eyes as I thrashed underneath the two of them. My laughter just became high-pitched wailing from lack of air, and my feet were becoming numb from the amount of times I stomped against the floor.

"Stop! Stop! Oh my god, time out!" I managed to choke out, throwing my head back and wheezing with laughter.

"There are no time outs in war, Lance McClain!"

I couldn't even tell whose voice that was because I was too busy trying to gasp for air. I could feel the whole world slipping away from me.

So this is what my squadron endured before their untimely death, huh? It was time for Lance McClain to say goodbye to the world and join his other fellow soldiers in the afterlife.

Hunk's fingers left my stomach, and my whole body untensed before sinking even further into the floor.

"You guys..." I could barely breathe now, coughing slightly. "That was so unfair! You said Pidge left already!" I pointed an accusatory finger toward my betrayer.

He howled with laughter. "Hey, I didn't say Pidge left. All I said was that they left through the door. Who knows how far away they were after that?"

Pidge shrugged, stepping up and stretching a hand out for me to grab. "I actually came back to talk to Allura about my schedule once school starts around again, and I just happened to see you and Hunk engaged in what might be the biggest loser fight I have ever witnessed." They shot Hunk a look. "But then Hunk yelled out my name and I had no choice but to join. It's fine though; totally worth it to see you screaming for mercy from a tickle fight."

I pouted, crossing my arms across my chest as Pidge wandered somewhere behind me. "I can't believe I lost to you guys. You know what, I can't believe you guys teamed up against me!"

Hunk couldn't stop his chuckles. "Yeah, well, it's not my problem you weren't facing the coffee shop where Pidge was just about to enter."

The latter returned, holding out my car keys. "You dropped these in the midst of battle, soldier." They laughed lightly before waving a goodbye and continuing what they originally were here for.

I huffed, gripping my keys tightly in my hand. "I  _will_  get my revenge on you guys. You better sleep with one eye open for the rest of your days."

Clearing his throat, he rested his hands on his hips. "Yeah, well, I say this was a triumphant victory for Pidge and I. Maybe  _you_  should watch out before the infamous duo strikes back."

"Oh yeah?" I snorted. "Are you really going to challenge me again?"

"Yeah, maybe I will. Pidge is still here after all." Hunk grinned. "You better find a partner of your own before you're sorely outmatched."

I winced at the thought. "Who am I going to get? I doubt Allura will have anything to do with this." Frowning in thought, a certain person's face soon emerged into my mind. "Coran!"

Hunk coughed before laughing even more. "Allura's uncle? Oh man, this is going to be the best tickle fight I will ever be a part of."

I jumped excitedly in place. "Dude, shit is going  _down_. You better watch your back before I get in contact with Coran."

I spun the carabiner around my finger again as Hunk rolled his eyes, his grin showing no ofgns if ceasing. We bid our farewells to each other before I started for my car.

My car wasn't all that great; it wasn't some luxurious Audi or something. But, as long as it was able to get me from place to place, then I was fine with it. Plus, I was living in an extremely large family--eight siblings to be exact. I was forced to share my car with a lot of people in my family, and I wouldn't probably like that if I had a super nice car.

Plus, Blue and I have been through so much already! I wouldn't trade her for the world. We had so many awesome rides together already along with so many memories. Blue loved me! We were like, attached at the hip or something, if cars even had hips.

I unlocked the car, sliding into worn, leather seats and turning on the car, starting the engine as Blue roared eith life. Buckling in my seatbelt, I turned on the radio and pulled out of the parking lot.

Bed and blankets, here Lancey Lance comes!


	4. Chapter 4

**Keith Kogane**

Remember when I told you that my older brother was always pestering me to get a job because I always wasted money on gas?

Yeah, well, after watching some guy being pinned down by two of his friends and screaming from being tickled in the middle of the coffee shop parking lot as if he were about to keel over and die, I was even  _surer_  this wasn't a good idea.

"Shiro, I'm going back to the car."

He rolled his eyes, pushing me forward until I stumbled toward the store entrance. "It'll be good for getting a job. It has a lot of benefits, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah, I get that. But, can't I work somewhere else?"

He frowned in confusion. "It's unlike you to complain about something."

I scowled back, crossing my arms as Shiro pulled open the door. "Did you  _see_  how I acted after leaving that coffee shop? My first impression definitely isn't the best."

"Maybe I'll just ask Allura now about what happened this morning." He beckoned for me to enter the store first, which I grudgingly obliged.

"If you're going to see Allura now  _anyway_ , then why make me go into there this morning to get your coffee?"

"You really love to complain, don't you?"

I huffed. "I really don't, but if you couldn't tell, I'm in a really bad mood."

"Sorry, sorry." Shiro offered me an apologetic smile, before quirking up almost immediately and turning his head when his name was called from the direction of the cash register. I rolled my eyes at my brother's obvious shift in mood, scanning the area around me. I was inwardly thankful that the  _other_  employee from this morning was gone, replaced with different people to work for the later hours of the day.

Tapping on my shoulder, I raised an eyebrow when he gestured for me to follow him. Warily, I stepped forward, hardening my gaze as I approached the cashier along with my brother in front. There wasn't even a line waiting to get coffee, hell, the whole store wasn't even busy which was astonished to me because it was the afternoon on a weekend. It seemed suspicious, and it also seemed like the perfect time to ask the manager about applying to a certain store. It was as if someone was telling me that I  _had_  to work at the coffee shop—this  _specific_  location—for a very important reason.

And, whatever that reason was, I was sure it wasn't as important as the whole world was making it out to be.

The cashier beamed brightly, and I instantaneously recognized her as the one who took my—technically Shiro's—order after arguing with that stupidly irresistible cashier. I had never seen Allura before this morning, but after the multiple conversations I shared with my brother about her, I had assumed that she was the one Shiro was terribly falling for.

I blinked momentarily, my hardened, dark violet eyes faltering as I backtracked through my own thoughts. Did I just call that utterly annoying and immature excuse of a cashier  _irresistible_?

I mean, I knew that I was gay. I had already come to terms with it. I was pretty open about it if someone specifically asked me about my sexuality. I already told Shiro about it; he was the only one that I brought the conversation up with. And, I was really, really glad that he didn't mind that his younger brother was homosexual.

I found out about my sexuality when I was in intermediate school; all of the people that I possessed romantic interests with were guys—especially the ones that made me laugh. Why? I wasn't sure; maybe it was because I almost never laugh, and it made the other person special in my mind if they managed to make me chuckle.

But the cashier from this morning? He didn't make me laugh; in fact, it was the complete opposite of a laugh. It was on a whole other spectrum from laughing. If you could do a U-turn from laughing, it was what happened between that guy and me. I didn't even bother learning what his name was from the name tag attached to his shirt; I had no intention of remembering a name of an obvious fool.

I couldn't, however, erase from my mind the almost permanent smirk he sported when he was flirting with that girl in front of me. I had to admit that the guy was  _extremely_  attractive, much to my dismay. His tanned skin and his perfect cheekbones and the sound of his laugh and his enticing eyes. God damn, his eyes were the  _best_  part about him; I only saw him for, like,  _two_  seconds but I still remember them. His eyes were the color of the deepest parts of the ocean. Like the oceans, they were so full of mystery. People knew what was there, but at the same time, they didn't. As if the oceans were hiding a part of themselves from the rest of the world that almost no one could reveal. Yet, the part of themselves that they  _did_  portray, everyone loved them. Hence, the beach—the part of the ocean that everyone enjoyed and laughed with and created fond memories. The deeper you went, however, the darker it became. The scarier it became, and the sadder it became.

Fuck, did I  _really_  just go on a giant rant about the guy's  _eyes_?

I grimaced at the thought, my fingers twitching as fire and anger bubbled from my core. I could tell my lips unconsciously tilted downward in a sharp scowl, my shoulders tensing as if the annoying cashier were about to bust in and I was preparing myself to punch him square in the jaw and ruin his flawless face. Would it be socially acceptable to punch the counter and provide no explanation?

I was jolted out of my thoughts when a hand landed on my shoulder.

"This is my brother, Keith."

Light blue eyes resembling the hue of newly polished crystals locked eyes with my contrasting ones. Her eyes widened when she recognized who I was. "Oh! You're the one from this morning—the one that Lance was arguing with, right? I'm so sorry for him; he's very forward with his emotions."

I shook my head. "It's fine," I grumbled, attempting (and failing) to erase the previous thoughts that I just had swirling about in my head about the frustrating cashier.

Lance, huh?

I wasn't sure how to feel about learning his name. Should I have felt... excited? Or should I have cursed that name until the day I died? I couldn't help the mixed feelings I possessed over him. He was attractive, sure, but it wasn't as if I liked him, right? Why would I like him? All I did was yell at him this morning.

Yet, I was still kind of excited to see him again. Was that bad? No, don't answer that. It was  _definitely_  bad. It was horrifying—absolutely despicable even. All the guy had was his looks—nothing else. I mean, it was already proven that he wasn't interested in guys; he flirted with that girl in front of me for almost ten minutes despite the morning rush that almost led itself out the door. He could be bisexual, but there was no way. I was just getting my hopes up. Lance was just flat-out  _straight_. As straight as a ruler could be.

"Are you sure?" The manager, Allura, softened her eyes. "I could give you something for free in compensation? Did you want anything?"

Again, I shook my head. "Really, I'm fine."

Her smile brightened. "But really, Shiro, I had no idea this was your brother! I've never met him before, but looking at him a little more closely," She pressed her palms against the counter and leaned forward, inspecting me with a blink of her eyes, "he really does resemble you quite clearly. I'm not entirely sure how I missed that earlier this morning. Maybe I was too distracted by Lance's antics." Her gaze flickered back to Shiro. "Why didn't you come in and visit? I would've been ecstatic to give you a free drink to start your day. If I knew he was your brother I would've offered that to him."

Shiro laughed lightly, rubbing the back of his neck. What a lovesick  _nerd_. It would be best if I just left them both and taken a table in the back corner and waited for my brother to come around and get me.

"We were kind of in a hurry this morning."

My right eye twitched disgustingly. Shiro, I'm sorry, but that was a terrible lie. If I had the time to argue with the cashier, we  _definitely_  weren't hurrying to arrive anywhere. My god, I  _despised_  sexual tension. Just get a room, will you?

I heaved a deep breath, spectating the two conversing in such a relaxed manner. I almost forgot why I was even there in the first place. I already told my brother this morning that I possessed absolutely no intention of walking through the coffee shop door of my own free will. Yet, there I was, in the coffee shop of my own free will. Then again, Shiro was the one who made me go in. Again.

After what seemed to be a waste of my entire day, Shiro patted me on the shoulder once more. "Hey, Allura, I was wondering if maybe you could hire my brother?"

She glanced at me, her eyes roaming across every inch of skin that she could find. "I'm sure if he's related to you, then he'll be  _very_  reliable. I would, however, have to go through the normal protocol of hiring a potential employee. However, I would be happy to give him the chance! Just give me a few moments to find an application form for you to fill out."

As she disappeared through the back doors, all I could think of was the multiple papers that I would have to fill out today. I already had the school transferee papers, and now I had to fill out this one. I also already told Shiro that I would help him in filling out the papers for our new apartment. My eyes almost fluttered shut at the mere thought of it. I just wanted to sleep. Shiro woke me up at seven in the morning in order to run all of these errands with him. And, for the record, I was  _not_  a morning person. If this were an average day, I would be just getting out of bed. And it was almost half past two in the afternoon.

Shiro breathed a sigh of relief. "I'm glad she's giving you the chance. I'm sure she'll be easy to you."

I only nodded in response, watching Allura reemerge from the employee back room and handing me a sheet of paper. Removing my hand from my jean pockets to grab the piece of paper, I inspected the front of it before moving to the back. The front was just all basic stuff, while the back was the questions asking about why I wanted to work there and all of that.

"Just come in and hand that to me whenever you can, and afterward we could schedule an interview. Usually, I would have to review the material you've written before I give you a call, but since I already know your brother, I could give you a bit of a break." She winked, including a kind smile before addressing Shiro once more.

I had no doubt in my mind that I would end up working at the coffee shop once I handed in my form to Allura, but I couldn't imagine my life here. Hopefully, I didn't end up with Lance. That would be a giant mess.

Spoke too soon, didn't I?

A few more minutes later, Shiro bid his farewells to the manager, informing her that he should leave soon to fill out the piles of forms that were slowly growing on his desk. I gave her a courteous nod before following my brother out of the store.

As we approached his car, he unveiled his keys to unlock the doors. "Did you like her?"

"You mean your unfathomable crush on her?"

" _Unfathomable_?"

I rolled my eyes, hopping into the car and reaching for the seatbelt. "I'm  _kidding_. She was fine. Why? Are you asking for my approval before you get down on one knee?"

" _Keith_." His face instantaneously burned up. Wow, I never knew how easily flustered my brother was. More blackmail material for me, I guess.

I shrugged, watching my brother enter his car through the corner of my eyes. I placed my elbow against the car door, resting my chin in the palm of my right hand. "Seriously though; it was  _really_  obvious that she liked you too."

It was Shiro's turn to roll his eyes, starting up the car at the same time. "It was not."

"Her face literally  _glowed_  every time she was talking to you."

"You're exaggerating."

"Does it look like I'm exaggerating?"

He chose to ignore me and, instead, focus on directing the car out of the parking lot and back onto the busy streets.

"Just ask her out. I couldn't breathe from the sexual tension you guys created."

A short silence ensued, and I was terrified out of my mind when a mischievous grin appeared on my brother's lips. And I thought  _Jaws_  was scary?

"I'll ask her out when you get a boyfriend."

I narrowed my eyes at the windshield ahead of me, giving myself a full ten seconds to process the blasphemous words coming out of Shiro's own mouth.

I whipped my head toward Shiro, and I swear I gave myself whiplash. "A  _what_?"

"You heard me."

I fumbled over my own words before I could even manage a coherent response. "Shiro, you and I  _both_  know that that's not going to happen."

"Don't you remember the bet?" His creepy smile finally disappeared. Thank goodness; it was truly unsettling. "I said within the next year, you're going to find a boyfriend."

"Again, Shiro. A  _what_?"

"Again, Keith. You heard me."

I shook my head, trying to liberate my mind of the preposterous ideas. "No. Nope. No, no,  _no_. It's  _not_  happening. Get that through you head, and ask Allura out before I explode out of my mind from hearing you talk about her so much." I sighed exasperatedly. "After seeing you guys today, I know for a fact that she reciprocates the same feelings."

Shiro shrugged nonchalantly as if it wasn't a big deal. He most likely didn't believe my claims still. "Maybe she does; maybe she doesn't. But, I'm finalizing this in my mind. I'm not going to ask her anything on the subject until I get to meet your boyfriend."

Rolling my eyes, I muttered, "Yeah, well, it's going to be a long time from now."

"I've never lost a bet to you."

"You're just about to."

He smirked, never letting his gaze stray from the road. "I'm positive I'm not."

I scoffed, crossing my arms and letting my body sink into the passenger seat. "And, I'm positive that I'm not going to get a boyfriend for a long time."

I didn't even realize that we had arrived at our apartment until I heard the car's engine faltering. I unbuckled my seatbelt and exited the car, shutting it behind me as a gust of wind followed shortly behind. I scanned the application form in my hand once more before letting my feet lead me down the familiar pathway toward the front door.

This was going to be a long and boring rest of the day of filling out forms, huh?


	5. Chapter 5

**Lance McClain**

I was awoken by this incessant buzzing noise that sounded as if it originated from the back of my head. My clothes stuck to my skin in a fury of sweat from the heat floating through the air since my mom refused to turn on the air conditioning system unless the family was absolutely  _dying_. Well, for the record, with my basketball shorts sticking to my ass and my tank top becoming another layer of skin on top of my original layer, dying seemed to be the better option than suffering through this abhorring heat.

I groaned loudly even though it didn't change the burning fire running through my bedroom; in fact, I think it got  _hotter_? Damn it—next time, I'll learn not to complain. But, now that I thought about it, I was pretty sure I had this conversation with myself last summer.

The constant buzzing continued, making me want to ram my head into the nearest wall. I grudgingly pushed myself up into a sitting position, rubbing my temples. What was that? Now that I was sitting up, I realized it wasn't even my head that was vibrating.

My phone?

I slowly turned my head, glaring in the direction of my desk where my phone innocently sat plugged into its charger. I woke up at six in the morning and just endured through a long, eight-hour shift while experiencing the worst customer in my entire life. Didn't I deserve some peaceful, undisturbed nappy time?

Pushing my feet against the mattress underneath me, I managed to move my body enough until my hand could slam my phone and unplug the charger. I pressed the home button, shocked to see twenty new messages from the group chat consisting of the coffee shop gang: Hunk, Allura, Pidge, and me: the best one in the group.

Exasperatedly and dramatically sighing while running a lazy hand through my bedhead, I unlocked my phone to reveal what was so important to ruin Lancey Lance's grandiose nap time—not that it was already disturbed by the heat or anything.

 **Allura:** I just wanted to inform you guys that we're going to have a new employee!

 **Pidge:** Are you sure we need more workers?

 **Allura:** It would be nice since you guys are starting school soon. For instance, if one of you guys wanted to study, I could get the new worker to fill in.

 **Pidge:** I guess I can't argue with that.

 **Hunk:** A new worker?! What're they like?! Are they funny? Do they like jokes? Can they at least help with making those crazy orders where Lance always writes the order wrong?

 **Allura:** Haha, well I don't know him all too well, but I'm sure he'll be very reliable.

 **Pidge:** If you barely know him, then why hire him?

 **Allura:** I trust him. Do you guys know Shiro? It's his brother.

 **Hunk:** Shiro's brother? Awesome! I wonder if he's going to start acting like my dad too. You know, the last time I was making his drink two days ago, Shiro started lecturing me about how to stir the coffee. He almost climbed into the back to properly show me which was kind of freaky.

 **Pidge:** Of course we know Shiro. You literally talk about him every single day.

 **Allura:** Do I... really?

 **Pidge:** Even Lance, the most oblivious guy on the face of this Earth, knows just how much you talk about Shiro.

 **Allura:** I had no idea. I'm so sorry about that.

 **Pidge:** Yeah, well, we're already used to it.

 **Allura:** Anyway, I briefly met Shiro's brother today. His name is Keith, and he seems very hard-working. Though, not as friendly as Shiro. Maybe he'll work in the back? Hunk, how would you like to work the cashier while Keith takes your place?

 **Hunk:** Honestly, I'm fine with anything. But, wouldn't it take forever to train Keith to make the drinks?

 **Pidge:** Yeah, he should start as a cashier and then slowly work his way into making them. That's just my opinion though—I haven't met the guy like you did.

 **Allura:** It would be easier to start as the cashier. But, I'm not sure what his skills are yet. I have yet to interview him.

 **Pidge:** You haven't even interviewed him and you want to hire him already? Is he that great? Or are you just that in love with Shiro that you would hire his brother on the spot?

 **Hunk:** I can feel your judginess through the phone, Pidge. It's burning up my phone.

I rolled my eyes, slumping back into the sticky hot comfort of my bed after reading the twenty new text messages; even now, my phone continued to vibrate with more upcoming messages to read.

A new worker, huh? I couldn't even imagine what he would be like. Allura had already explained that he wasn't friendly. Would he be like Pidge then? The first time I met Pidge, they threatened to spit in my drink if I didn't stop touching their stuff. But, hey! Pidge and I get along just fine now! Yes, I'm trying to forget what happened in the parking lot—thanks for bringing it up again.

No matter who the employee was, I was sure my charm would grow on them given a matter of time. I mean Owl Eyes (Yes, I was talking about Pidge; why would I suddenly mention Owl Eyes from  _The Great Gatsby_!) couldn't resist me! I was positive Keith, this new employee, wouldn't be able to resist my alluring personality either. Sure, I may come off as kind of strong and annoying in the beginning—I was told that quite a lot, much to my dismay. But, eventually, people just kind of got accustomed to it. Maybe Keith will grow to like it too.

But, I couldn't be sure until I met the guy first. There was no point in assuming whether the new worker would like me or not.

Whipping out my phone once more, I scanned through the new messages before joining into the conversation.

 **Pidge:** Hunk, maybe you've just been using your phone for too long.

 **Hunk:** Nope, this heat from my phone is definitely from your judgy attitude.

 **Allura:** I trust him. He seems very honest. Though, I may reconsider depending on how badly he screws up our interview after he turns in his application form.

 **Pidge:** That's the spirit. Reject every newcomer.

 **Allura:** Pidge! That is not the spirit. Be more open, will you?

 **Lance:** Speaking of which, I didn't see Shiro at all this morning. He always comes every morning to order the same exact thing. I've finally been able to say "Want the usual?" to a customer and he didn't even bother showing up today!

 **Hunk:** Lance!

 **Lance:** Hunk! My BEST MAN!

 **Pidge:** Okay, enough with that weird reunion. But, Lance is right. Where was Shiro today? I assume that without his coffee he is a dead man.

 **Allura:** He came in a little bit after your shift ended. He told me he sent his brother in to get his coffee.

 **Lance:** But the only guy today that ordered Shiro's drink was mullet man!

 **Pidge:** Uh, Lance? You're missing the point.

 **Lance:** Well, mullet man is missing out on the latest hairstyles!

 **Pidge:** You just confirmed that mullet man is Keith.

 **Lance:** What.

 **Pidge:** I can't believe this. I feel like I'm dealing with a five year-old.

 **Lance:** Oh yeah? Well, I'm the best five year-old you'll ever meet!

 **Pidge:** Okay, well, I'm going to forget that last text you just sent. Keith=Shiro's brother=Guy who ordered Shiro's drink=Mullet man. KEITH, Shiro's brother, ordered Shiro's drink for him. And the ONLY one who ordered Shiro's drink today was MULLET MAN. It is safe to assume that KEITH IS MULLET MAN.

 **Lance.** WHAT?!

 **Pidge:** READ MY LAST MESSAGE AGAIN. I'm not explaining this a second time.

 **Lance:** No, I mean, SHIRO'S BROTHER, AKA KEITH, IS MULLET MAN? AS IN OUR NEW EMPLOYEE?

 **Pidge:** YES.

 **Allura:** Yeah, see, I forgot to mention that Keith was the man that Lance was arguing with this morning.

 **Lance:** HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY FORGET TO MENTION THAT?

 **Hunk:** I feel like I'm reading the script to a CW drama. So, let me get this straight. Our new worker is the guy that was arguing with Lance this morning?

 **Allura:** Yes.

I groaned once more into the fiery air, strongly resisting the urge to drop my head against the headboard as my phone slipped from my hands. I thought I would never  _ever_  have to witness mullet man in my life ever again. And, now Allura was telling me that she just  _hired_  the guy? Was I the only one who completely despised our argument this morning? How could mullet man have absolutely  _no_  trouble with applying to the coffee shop where he was just yelled at by one of the workers?

Yeah, yeah, I knew mullet man's real name was Keith. But, for some reason, I didn't want to recognize his name at all. It made me feel as if I respected Keith as an equal... which I definitely did not! Mullets were always far below the regular person in this day and age. I mean, seriously! When was the last time that mullet man got a haircut?

I refused to acknowledge the fact that our new employee was mullet man. The new worker could've been anyone! Hell, I would've been able to deal with Nyma if she was the new worker despite the fact that she gave me a fake number! But, mullet man, also known as the man who purposefully styled his hair to look like a mullet every single day of his life? I shivered violently at the thoughts even though there were sweat drops running along my arm. Mullet man probably looked at himself in the mirror every morning and  _still_  didn't bother getting rid of his hairstyle.

What a terrible way to live. What other traumatizing events has he endured? I was sure none of them were as bad as waking up in the morning and seeing your own reflection stare back at you while sporting a mullet.

Despite the vehemently opposing thoughts in the back of my mind, I plucked my phone up from where I dropped it on my mattress and caught myself up on the conversation that they continued with.

 **Pidge:**  So, when is his interview?

 **Allura:**  As soon as he can turn in his application form. Considering that he appeared to be very studious, I expect that it'll be tomorrow.

 **Hunk:** Tomorrow already? I wouldn't be able to deal with the stress of an interview so soon after meaning the manager. I almost threw up the day of my interview for the coffee shop.

 **Allura:** But, it wasn't even that bad, see? You're hired now, and you're doing a superb job of creating everyone's orders and baking the pastries that we display every morning.

 **Pidge:** Yeah, Hunk, your desserts look really fancy.

 **Hunk:**  Aww, thanks, guys. I love you guys too.

 **Lance:**  Uh, guys? Are we just going to completely IGNORE the fact that the customer that I almost pummeled right into the cash register is going to start WORKING with us now? As in WORKING TOGETHER?

 **Allura:**  I'm sure you'll be able to manage, Lance. I believe in you. You're a very big believer in teamwork.

 **Lance:** Yeah, I am, aren't I? I really am such a big team player, sacrificing everything for my fellow teammates. What a caring and compassionate person that Lancey Lance had grown up to be.

 **Pidge:**  Yeah, we get it, you're great. So, if you like Keith enough after his interview and he starts working, will he be working with us or with the other employees?

 **Allura;**  Don't tell everyone else that I said this--especially Slav--but I do believe that you three will guide Keith correctly and more efficiently than the others.

 **Lance:** Oh, I am SO telling Slav that the next time I have a shift with him!

 **Allura:** Remind me never to pair you two together for a very long time.

I rolled my eyes at the screen even though it was very clear that Allura couldn't see the action. I just couldn't believe this. She thought that  _we_  were the best options for training Keith? And  _we_  as in...  _me_  included? On what planet could she  _possibly_  think that that is even a good idea in the  _slightest_? I swear, no matter where in the world we are whether it was in some far away galaxy fighting aliens or here on Earth working in a coffee shop, there was  _no_  way that Keith and I could be a part of the same team.

I internally groaned--how many times have groaned today? I refused to call him Keith! Nope, nope, his name was mullet man forever and always. Nothing else was acceptable. I planned on referring to him as mullet man until the day I die. Even if he trimmed his hair and no longer spotted the mullet, he would still continue to be mullet man to me. I wonder if Keith knew my actual name or if he nicknamed me like I did to him? Oh, damn it, I called him Keith again! Could I just erase that name from my memory or something?

Shutting my eyes, I attempted to imagine working at the coffee shop almost every day, expecting mullet man to be there. What was he actually like? The only impressions I got from him were hot-headed, poor choices in style, and arrogant. I mean, hot-headed and arrogance I could deal with, but having to look at mullet man almost every single day when he couldn't even make an outfit without the same two colors was going to  _kill_  me.

Then again, I only saw him once.

I shook my head, denying my doubts as I reopened my eyes to stare at my light blue bedroom wall ahead of me. There was no way he knew the other colors of the visible light scale except for red and black. He looked as if all he owned was red and black--as if the only thing he breathed was red and black.

Wow, well that sounded  _really_  emo. But then again, mullet man was probably super emo anyway!

Working together... with mullet man...  _working together with mullet man._  I  _still_  couldn't believe I was hearing this right. I had never gotten so angry so rapidly against a person whom I barely even knew. Yet, there I was, about to start the rest of my working days with the same guy who got me fired up.

I pulled my phone up once again, catching myself up on the messages that I had missed while trying to process the fact that mullet man was going to work with me. The topic mostly consisted of Pidge trying to get fewer hours in order for them to start concentrating on their studies and inventions that they were in the middle of creating at home while Allura made more room for mullet man. She even added the fact that on weekends when it was busier, all four of us would be working at the same time.

Well, hopefully, mullet man would screw up his interview and not get hired, because the weekend was two days from now. Today was Thursday, August 24, and school renewed its session, unfortunately, the upcoming Monday. Maybe since the school year is starting once more, I would get to see mullet man less?

Yeah, that's what I originally thought. But someone else had a different plan for Keith and me.

Damn it! I meant mullet man, I swear!


End file.
